Victoria Police say Veniamin was one of the most dangerous men connected to Melbourne's crime scene, and by the time of his death in 2004 they had connected him with several of Melbourne's underworld murders[2].

Veniamin worked at the wholesale fruit and vegetable market with Frank Benvenuto, who was killed in Beaumaris in May 2000[2]. He was also a known associate of Dino Dibra, who was murdered at his home in October 2000[2], and of Paul Kallipolitis, who was shot in similar circumstances two years later[2]. Veniamin was also close to notorious 1990s suburban drug dealers Bluey Watkins and Toofie Abudul. Abudul is now serving part of a twelve year sentence for conspiracy to murder.

Veniamin met with Nik Radev on 15 April 2003, the day Radev was murdered in Coburg[2]. Veniamin associated with an underworld group known as The Carlton Crew and after 2003 was connected with the Williams Family, and was a close friend of Carl Williams.[citation needed]

Roberta Williams

He was a close friend of Carl Williams and his wife Roberta. Although Roberta had previously rejected claims she and Veniamin were intimate, in early 2009 she admitted that he was her soulmate.[citation needed] She said that every Tuesday he would pick her daughters up and take them to religion classes, bring them home and give them a bath. He said his favourite day of the week was Tuesday and Roberta said her younger daughter, Dhakota, idolised him.[citation needed]

Fatherhood

Just weeks before his death he became a father to a baby daughter. Roberta Williams took him to the hospital to meet her and when he held his daughter for the first time he remarked "she knows I'm her Dad".[citation needed]

Death

Veniamin died in the La Porcella restaurant in Carlton on 23 March 2004 at around 2.30pm after being shot by former associate Domenic "Mick" Gatto. Gatto was charged with his murder but acquitted on self-defence grounds.

During the trial, Gatto claimed Veniamin had pulled out a .38 and threatened to kill him. Gatto claims that during a struggle he was able to turn the gun around on Veniamin and fire one shot into his neck, and one shot into the eye. Gatto also claimed that during the argument, Veniamin had implicated himself in the deaths of Dino Dibra, Paul Kallipolitis and Graham Kinniburgh,he also believed to have killed underworld figure Victor Pierce.[3] His funeral was held at the Greek Orthodox Church in Sunshine, Melbourne.[4]